Mindless Eating

Have you ever woken up and realized that what you lovingly refer to as “your fat pants” are now just your normal, everyday pants? Have you ever declined to be weighed at the doctor’s office? Do you notice that sucking in your belly doesn’t really do anything anymore? Have you ever seen a photo of a party you went to, noticed a chunky person in the background wearing the same outfit you wore at the party, only to realize that that was actually you? Have you managed to convince yourself that iPhone cameras automatically stretch out the photos horizontally by 110% or more?

Even if you don’t know about any of those feelings, I recommend Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think by Brian Wansink. I read it in a day and have already loaned out my copy, so while I can’t comment on specifics, I can say that the hyperbolic quotes on the cover are true. Our behavior is hijacked by our environment, we’re constantly on autopilot, and somehow I’d never thought about it in the context of food until now. Wansink doesn’t get into the nuts and bolts of the psychology, preferring to stick to the antecedent-behavior-outcome route, which makes this a very practical, helpful book.